Photography system with remote control subject designation and digital framing

ABSTRACT

A photography system includes a digital camera and a remote control. The remote control emits a light that the photographer can use to designate a subject to be photographed by pointing the remote control at the subject, casting a light spot on the subject. In a preferred embodiment, the light is generated by a laser pointer included in the remote control. The camera selects a region to photograph from its field of view, based on the location or motion of the light spot. The camera may optionally select a region that is centered on the light spot. The photographer may optionally specify the size of the region to be selected. The camera may optionally adjust the size of the selected region to assist in photographic composition. The camera may optionally be capable of making video recordings.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to photography.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A common inconvenience in consumer photography is that the photographerat an activity must generally tend to the camera, and thus cannotexperience the activity in the way that others present might. Somecameras include a remote control device that can activate the camerafrom a distance. The photographer can position the camera, optionallyplace herself in the scene, and use the remote control to takephotographs whenever she desires. However, this method generally givesthe photographer little control over the composition of the photographonce the camera is positioned, and does not adapt well to changingscenes.

The inconvenience is particularly acute in video photography. Thevideographer must typically choose between letting the camera rununattended during an activity, resulting in an unartful recording, orremoving himself from the activity for the duration of the recording totend to the camera.

What is needed is a system and method for conveniently and artfullyphotographing or video recording a scene, while allowing thephotographer freedom and flexibility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A photography system includes a digital camera and a remote control. Theremote control emits a light that the photographer can use to designatea subject to be photographed by pointing the remote control at thesubject, casting a light spot on the subject. In a preferred embodiment,the light is generated by a laser pointer included in the remotecontrol. The camera selects a region to photograph from its field ofview, based on the location or motion of the light spot. The camera mayoptionally select a region that is centered on the light spot. Thephotographer may optionally specify the size of the region to beselected. The camera may optionally adjust the size of the selectedregion to assist in photographic composition. The camera may optionallybe capable of making video recordings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a system in accordance with an example embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2 depicts a camera situated so that its field of view encompasses arelatively large area of interest.

FIG. 3 shows a close up view of a remote control in accordance with anexample embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 represents an array of pixels.

FIG. 5 depicts a particular region being selected from the camera'sfield of view.

FIG. 6 illustrates how a selected photograph of part of the sceneencompassed by the selected region may compare with a referencephotograph.

FIG. 7 illustrates consecutive preliminary digital photographs and thedetection of the position of an intermittent laser spot in accordancewith an example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates how a camera may select a selected photograph from areference photograph.

FIG. 9 shows a situation in which a selected photograph cannot becentered about the laser spot location.

FIG. 10 illustrates choosing the largest selected photograph that iscentered on the location of the laser spot.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example technique for removing the effect of thelaser spot from a video frame.

FIG. 12 illustrates a technique for selecting a region based on motionsof the remote control.

FIG. 13 illustrates using optical zoom to improve the resolution of aselected photograph.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 depicts a system in accordance with an example embodiment of theinvention, and placed in an example photographic situation where thesystem can be used to good advantage.

Camera 100 may be placed on a tripod 101 or otherwise held substantiallystationary. Camera 100 is directed at a scene to be photographed.Photographer 102 holds a remote control 103, which can emit a light beamcapable of casting a light spot on a photographic subject.

Camera 100 may have a zoom lens or a lens with a fixed focal length. Ifcamera 100 has a zoom lens, it may be configured to a relatively shortfocal length so as to give the camera a relatively wide field of view. Arelatively short focal length is one that is near the shortest focallength the camera is capable of. For example, in a camera with a focallength range of 6 to 18 mm, a focal length near 6 mm would be relativelyshort. As shown in FIG. 2, camera 100 is situated so that the field ofview 201 of the lens encompasses a relatively large area of interest,from which regions may be selected to photograph.

FIG. 3 shows a close up view of remote control 103. In one preferredembodiment, remote control 103 comprises a laser pointer 104, to be usedin designating photographic subjects. Laser pointer 104 may emit lightof a wavelength visible to the human eye. Other embodiments within thescope of the appended claims may use other kinds of light sources. Forexample, a conventional collimating optical system may project arelatively narrow light beam, or an imaging optical system may projectan image of a light source onto a photographic subject.

Remote control 103 also comprises various controls operated by thephotographer 102. For example, control 302 may cause the camera 100 totake a photograph. Controls 303 and 304 may cause the camera 100 startand stop the making of a video recording. Other controls may be presenton remote control 103.

A digital camera such as camera 100 typically uses a lens to project animage of a scene onto an electronic array light sensor. The electronicarray light sensor typically comprises many light-sensitive elementssometimes called “pixels”. Each pixel measures the brightness of lightemanating from a corresponding location in the scene. The electronicarray light sensor typically accumulates electrical charge in each pixelin proportion to the brightness of light falling on the pixel. Thischarge quantity is then measured to determine a numerical value. Thenumerical value is also often called a “pixel”. The meaning of the term“pixel” is generally clear from the context of the reference. The set ofnumerical values resulting from the measurement of the charges from thepixels of the electronic array light sensor may be collected into anumerical array. The numerical array may be called a digital image, adigital photograph, or sometimes simply an image or a photograph. Whenproperly interpreted and displayed, the digital image reproduces thescene photographed by the camera.

In some cases, fewer than all of the pixels on the electronic arraylight sensor need be measured to determine numerical values. Forexample, if a photograph of lower resolution than the camera is capableof is desired, or if a photograph of only a portion of the camera'sfield of view is desired, some electrical charges may be discardedwithout being measured or saved.

FIG. 4 represents an array of pixels 401, and may be thought of asrepresenting the light-sensitive pixels on an electronic array lightsensor or as representing corresponding elements in a digital imagearray. Only a few pixels are shown in FIG. 4 for simplicity ofexplanation. An actual camera may have many thousands or millions ofpixels. Many digital cameras use selective wavelength filtering on somepixels to record color information about a scene, allowing such camerasto produce color photographs. One of skill in the art will recognizethat the present invention may be embodied in a camera with colorcapability or one without.

In FIG. 4, the entire array 401 corresponds to the entire camera fieldof view 201, and in fact the size of the electronic array light sensorand the characteristics of the lens of camera 100 define the camera'sfield of view 201. A subarray 402 of pixels may be selected from array401 in order to select a particular region from the field of view 201 ofcamera 100. In FIG. 4, subarray 402 has its origin at row 3, column 5 ofarray 401, and subarray 402 is four pixels wide and three pixels high.

FIG. 5 depicts a particular region 501, possibly corresponding tosubarray 402, being selected from the camera's field of view 201. InFIG. 5, photographer 102 aims remote control 103 at child 502. Laserbeam 503 casts laser spot 504 on child 502. (Laser beam 503 willnormally not be visible, but is shown in FIG. 5 for clarity ofexplanation.) FIG. 6 illustrates how a selected photograph 601 of thepart of the scene encompassed by the selected region 501 may comparewith a reference photograph 602 of the scene encompassed by the camera'sentire field of view 201.

In FIG. 6, selected photograph 601 is framed such that laser spot 504 isplaced in the center of selected photograph 601. If camera 100 candetect the location in its field of laser spot 504, and if a region sizehas been specified or selected, camera 100 may accomplish such framingby selecting an appropriate subarray from reference photograph 602. Thissubarray selection may be called “digital framing”, as it simulates aphotographer's framing of a photograph by selecting a scene region tophotograph from a larger choice of possible regions. The digital framingmay typically be done by a microprocessor, digital signal processor, orother logic that is part of the camera electronics.

In one example embodiment, the location of laser spot 504 in camerafield of view 201 may be accomplished as follows. Digital camera 100 maytake a sequence of preliminary photographs. The sequence may be takenfor the purpose of locating laser spot 504, for facilitating cameraadjustments such as focusing or selecting a proper exposure, or for acombination of these. At least some of the preliminary photographstypically include the entire camera field of view 201, and may be takenat a resolution lower than the camera's fill resolution.

In this example embodiment, laser pointer 104 on remote control 103emits light only intermittently, blinking on and off repeatedly. Thisblinking or toggling of light spot 504 provides a recognizable “beacon”that the camera can distinguish from features in the scene. When laserpointer 104 is on and emitting light at a time when a preliminaryphotograph is taken, pixels on the camera's electronic array lightsensor will receive light from laser spot 504, and the digital values inthe resulting preliminary digital photograph corresponding to thelocation of laser spot 504 will indicate the presence of the light. Oncelaser pointer 104 has switched off and a subsequent preliminaryphotograph is taken, the corresponding digital values will reflect onlythe scene illumination. The location of laser spot 504 may be detectedby comparing consecutive preliminary digital photographs and findingdifferences resulting from a change in state, the switching on orswitching off, of laser pointer 104 and resulting laser spot 504.

For example, FIG. 7 illustrates consecutive preliminary digitalphotographs 701, 702, and 703. For simplicity of illustration, thenumeric arrays are reduced in size as compared with a typical digitalphotograph. Typically, brighter scene locations are indicated in adigital photograph with larger digital values, and darker scenelocations are indicated with smaller digital values, although theopposite relationship is possible. Arrays 701 and 702 are substantiallyidentical. Differences in the arrays, representing changes in thedigital photographs, are revealed by subtracting, element-by-element,array 702 from array 701. The resulting difference array is shown asarray 704. Only a few pixels have changed numeric value betweenpreliminary photographs 701 and 702, and only by small amounts. Thesechanges may be attributable to random noise in the camera electronics,to subject motion, or other effects. In order to screen insignificantchanges from consideration, difference array 704 may be subjected to athresholding operation, wherein all values below a preselected value,for example 5 numeric counts in magnitude, are set to zero. Array 706illustrates the result of such a thresholding operation. The fact thatall elements of array 706 are zeros indicates that no significantchanges occurred between preliminary photographs 701 and 702.

A similar process reveals that between preliminary photographs 702 and703, significant changes did occur at two pixel locations. Two pixels indifference array 705 now have much higher numeric values, and thosenumeric values survive the thresholding operation as shown by array 707.Because it is unlikely that there are other intermittent sources oflight in the scene, laser spot 504 can be confidently considered to beat the scene location corresponding to the significantly-changed pixels.The precise location in the camera's field of view may be determined bymethods known in the art, such as by locating the largest change inpixel numeric value, or by finding the centroid of the pixels whosevalues changed significantly between consecutive photographs.

In one example embodiment, the size of selected photograph 601 may bespecified in advance of taking any photographs. For example, referencephotograph 602 capturing the entire field of view 201 of camera 100 andusing all of the pixels on the camera's electronic array light sensormay comprise 2,592 pixels width in the horizontal direction and 1,944pixels height in the vertical direction, but the camera operator mayspecify, using controls provided on the camera, that selectedphotographs such as selected photograph 601 are to be taken with a sizeof 1024 pixels width and 768 pixels height. These values are providedfor illustration only; other sizes may be used within the scope of theappended claims.

FIG. 8 illustrates how camera 100 may select selected photograph 601from reference photograph 602. In FIG. 8, the camera 100 has locatedlaser spot 504 at pixel location (X_(c), Y_(c)). The width and height ofselected photograph 601 have been specified to be W and H pixels,respectively. Given these parameters, camera 100 has sufficientinformation to locate selected photograph 601 in reference photograph602. Designating the upper left corner of selected photograph 601 aspixel location (X₀, Y_(o)), $\begin{matrix}\begin{matrix}{X_{0} = {X_{c} - \frac{W}{2}}} \\{and}\end{matrix} & \left. 1 \right) \\{Y_{0} = {Y_{c} - {\frac{H}{2}.}}} & \left. 2 \right)\end{matrix}$

If laser spot 504 is located near any edge of reference photograph 602,it may not be possible to position a selected photograph of a specifiedsize in this way, as the boundaries of selected the photograph mayextend outside the boundaries of reference photograph 602. In this case,camera 100 may position a selected photograph so that laser spot 504 isas nearly centered in the selected photograph as possible.

FIG. 9 shows a situation in which a selected photograph of dimensions Wby H pixels cannot be centered about the laser spot location (X_(c),Y_(c)). The dashed line shows the boundaries of selected photograph 901as computed by formulas 1) and 2) above. In this case, the camera maychoose selected photograph 901A by adjusting the position of theselected photograph so that it retains its specified size, but is fullycontained in reference photograph 602.

As an alternative to adjusting the position of selected photograph 601within reference photograph 602 when it is not possible to center aphotograph of the specified size at the desired location, camera 100 mayadjust the size of the photograph to be selected. For example, camera100 may select the largest photograph that can be centered at thelocation of laser spot 504 while maintaining the aspect ratio of thephotograph constant.

FIG. 10 illustrates choosing the largest selected photograph that iscentered on the location of laser spot 504. Laser spot 504 has beenlocated at pixel location (X_(c), Y_(c)). Selected photograph boundary1001 shows the location of the desired region.

Additionally, maximum and minimum sizes for the selected photograph mayoptionally be specified. A complete example set of rules for choosingthe width W₁ and height H₁ of selected photograph are given in thealgorithm listing below. The desired aspect ratio (the ratio of thephotograph's width to its height, typically about 1.5) of the selectedphotograph is designated A, and the width and height of the referencephotograph 602 are designated W_(R) and H_(R) respectively. The selectedphotograph may optionally have a minimum width W_(min) and a maximumwidth W_(max).

Listing 1

290 REM 300 REM COMPUTE STARTING WIDTH AND HEIGHT, WITH OPTIONAL 310 REM  SETTING TO PRE-SELECTED MAXIMUM 320 REM 330 W1=MIN(Wmax,2*Xc) 340 REM350 REM COMPUTE CENTERING WIDTH AND HEIGHT WITH EDGE LIMITS 360 REM 370H1=W1/A 380 IF Xc<W1/2 THEN 390 W1=2*Xc 400 H1=W1/A 410 END IF 420 IFYc<H1/2 THEN 430 H1=2*Yc 440 W1=H1*A 450 END IF 460 IF (Xc+W1/2) >Wr−1THEN 470 W1=2*(Wr−Xc−1) 480 H1=W1/A 490 END IF 500 IF (Yc+H1/2) >Hr−1THEN 510 H1=2* (Hr−Yc−1) 520 W1=H1*A 530 END IF 540 X0=Xc−W1/2 550Y0=Yc−H1/2 560 REM 570 REM OPTIONAL SETTING OF SIZE TO PRE-SELECTEDMINIMUM AND 580 REM   ADJUSTING POSITION 590 REM 600 IF W1<Wmin THEN 610W1=Wmin 620 H1=W1/A 630 X0=Xc−W1/2 640 Y0=Yc−H1/2 650 IF (Xc−W1/2)<0THEN X0=0 660 IF (Xc+W1/2)>Wr−1 THEN X0=Wr−W1−1 670 IF (Yc−H1/2)<0 THENY0=0 680 IF (Yc+H1/2)>Hr−1 THEN Y0=Hr−H1−1 690 END IF

Once this example algorithm has completed, a selected photographlocation and size are determined such that the selected photograph is nolarger than the predetermined maximum size, is no smaller than thepredetermined minimum size, is completely contained within the referencephotograph, is as nearly centered as possible on the location of laserspot 504, and has aspect ration A. The values X₀ and Y₀ indicate thestarting location of the selected photograph, and the values W₁ and H₁indicate the width and height respectively of the selected photograph.Note that the selected photograph may be constrained to a fixed size bysetting W_(max) and W_(min) equal to each other. Setting W_(min)=0 andW_(max)=W_(R) configures the algorithm to find the largest selectedphotograph that can be centered on laser spot 504 within referencephotograph 602.

Once the size and location of the selected photograph have beendetermined, camera 100 can take a final photograph. A final photographis the photograph that camera 100 has prepared to take. The preparationsmay involve preliminary photographs used for focusing, exposuredetermination, framing, or other purposes, as well as selecting a regionto photograph. Photographing the selected region may involve taking adigital image of the entire field of view of the camera, and thenextracting a subarray corresponding to the selected region from thedigital image for storage. This is especially true if the electronicarray light sensor in digital camera 100 is a charged coupled device(CCD) sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.All pixels on the CCD or CMOS sensor, not just those in the selectedregion, may accumulate charge during the taking of the photograph, eventhough only those in the selected region will contribute to the finalphotograph. Digital camera 100 may measure the charges from all of thepixels on the electronic array light sensor and extract the finalphotograph from the resulting digital image, or may discard some or allof the unnecessary charges without measuring them. Whether accomplishedby any of these methods, the effective result is that the selectedregion is photographed.

In one example embodiment, the laser pointer 104 may be interrupted sothat it emits no light during the taking of a still photograph, and thuslaser spot 504 does not appear obtrusively in the final photograph.

Optionally, camera 100 may use the location of laser spot 504 as thecenter of a focus region, thus preferentially focusing on subjects inthe vicinity of laser spot 504. Typically, a digital camera performsfocusing by adjusting a focus mechanism to maximize the image spatialcontrast in a selected region of the camera's field of view. The focusregion may be arbitrarily selected, but is often in the center of thecamera's field of view. Selecting a focus region centered on laser spot504 ensures that the portion of the scene that is of greatest interest,as indicated by the presence of laser spot 504, will be in focus. U.S.Pat. No. 6,466,742, having a common assignee with the presentapplication, describes a method of preferentially focusing at adesignated scene location, and is hereby incorporated for all that itdiscloses. An advantage of the current invention is that the light spot,such as laser spot 504, may itself add spatial contrast to the scene andfacilitate focusing by camera 100.

In another example embodiment, camera 100 is capable of making videorecordings. A video recording may be any sequence of successive digitalimages, sometimes called “video frames”, captured at substantiallyregular intervals. The digital images need not be of a size similar totelevision video nor need they be taken at a frequency similar totelevision video. In a preferred configuration, laser pointer 104 onremote control 103 flashes at a frequency of about one half thefrequency of digital image capture during video recording. Thisarrangement ensures that most video frames will show a difference in thestate of laser spot 504 as compared with the immediately preceding videoframe. For example, if laser pointer 104 flashes at between 0.4 and 0.6times the frequency of digital image capture, then at least 80 percentof successive video frames will show a change in the state of laser spot504 from the previous frame. Camera 100 may adjust the composition ofthe video recording by re-selecting a region to photograph duringrecording as laser spot 504 may move. In this way, camera 100 cansimulate pan and tilt motions of a gimbal-mounted camera, but withoutthe complexity of moving the camera.

Unless precise synchronization is provided between the flashing of laserpointer 104 and the capture of video frames, laser spot 504 may appearin some video frames. In order to reduce the obtrusiveness of havinglaser spot 504 in the video sequence, automatic image processing usinginformation from adjacent frames or adjacent pixels may be used removethe effect of laser spot 504.

FIG. 11 illustrates one simple example technique for removing laser spot504 from a video frame. Digital images 1101 and 1102 are consecutiveframes from a video recording. As described previously, the presence oflaser spot 504 has been detected in two pixels by computing anelement-by-element difference frame 1103 between the consecutive frames1101 and 1102. Once laser spot 504 has been located, its effect can beremoved by copying pixel values from the most recent frame taken whenlaser pointer 104 was off.

Other techniques may be envisioned for removing the effect of laser spot504 from video frames. For example, pixel information from bothpreceding and following frames could be combined to replace pixel datain a particular frame, for example by interpolation. Alternatively, theeffect of laser spot 504 could be removed from a frame without referenceto other frames, by replacing pixel data with information based onsurrounding pixels. If the light emitted by light laser 104 issubstantially monochromatic and camera 100 uses selective wavelengthfiltering on some pixels to generate color photographs, then light spot504 may be detected by analyzing only those pixels that can sense thelight wavelengths emitted by laser 104. For example, if laser 104 isemits red light, then it is likely that only the red-sensing pixels inthe camera need be examined to detect the light spot 504, or need beadjusted to remove the effect of light spot 504 from a frame.

In another example embodiment, photographer 102 may use motions ofremote control 103 to communicate framing instructions to camera 100.For example, photographer may sweep light beam 503 over the scene in arectangular, circular or other pattern that indicates a size of a regionof interest. Camera 100 may detect the motion, and frame a photographaccordingly.

FIG. 12 illustrates one possible technique for selecting a region basedon motions of the remote control. In FIG. 12, a recorded set oflocations 1201 indicates where laser spot 504 was located in theprevious 8 preliminary photographs taken with the laser 104 on. Camera100 has chosen selected photograph 1202, which is large enough toencompass the entire set of laser spot locations 1201, and also has atypical photographic aspect ratio.

In another example embodiment, which may be combined with other exampleembodiments already described, camera 100 includes an optical zoomfunction, and uses its optical zoom capability to optimize photographicquality in some situations. In some cases, a selected photograph isdefined that is completely contained within reference photograph 602with excess area surrounding the selected photograph. That is, theselected photograph is not at the edge of reference photograph 602.Selected photographs 601 and 1201 in the Figures are of this kind, whileselected photographs 901A and 1001 are not.

In this situation, camera 100 can improve the resolution at which it canphotograph the selected region by activating its optical zoom functionso that the camera's field of view just encompasses the selected region.That is, the focal length of the lens is increased, causing the camera'sfield of view to be narrowed, until the selected photographic region isat the edge of the camera's field of view.

FIG. 13 illustrates using optical zoom to improve the resolution of aselected photograph. Selected photograph 1302 is entirely contained inreference photograph 602, with excess area surrounding it. Camera 100may actuate its optical zoom such that reference photograph 1301, ratherthan reference photograph 602, covers the entire electronic array lightsensor in camera 100. Selected photograph 1302 can then be extractedfrom reference photograph 1301, but at higher resolution than if it hadbeen extracted from reference photograph 602.

In yet another example embodiment, light spot 504 may be used both fordigital framing of photographs, and for controlling other functions ofdigital camera 100. For example, laser 104, and thus light spot 504, mayflash in a uniquely identifiable way (such as remaining on for threeconsecutive preliminary photographs or video frames, and then shuttingoff) to signal to the camera to take a final photograph. Signaling thecamera to take a final photograph may also be called actuating thecamera's shutter release. Using the same light source for digitalframing and for controlling other camera functions saves the expense ofhaving two different signaling methods.

The foregoing description of the present invention has been presentedfor purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, andother modifications and variations may be possible in light of the aboveteachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to bestexplain the principles of the invention and its practical application tothereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the inventionin various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. It is intended that the appended claims beconstrued to include other alternative embodiments of the inventionexcept insofar as limited by the prior art.

1. A photography system, comprising: a) a remote control that casts alight spot on a photographic subject; and b) a digital camera having afield of view, which digital camera can detect in its field of view theposition of the light spot, and which digital camera selects a regionfrom its field of view to photograph based on the detected position ofthe light spot.
 2. The photography system of claim 1 wherein the digitalcamera centers the selected region on the detected position of the lightspot.
 3. The photography system of claim 1 wherein the selected regionis of a predetermined size, and wherein the digital camera positions theselected region as nearly as possible to centered on the detectedposition of the light spot while keeping the selected region within thecamera's field of view.
 4. The photography system of claim 1 whereindigital camera: a) selects the largest region that will fit within itsfield of view when the selected region is centered on the detectedposition of the light spot, and b) centers the selected region on thedetected position of the light spot.
 5. The photography system of claim1 wherein minimum and maximum sizes of the selected region arepredetermined, and wherein the digital camera a) selects a region thatis the smaller of the predetermined maximum region size and the largestsize that will fit within the camera's field of view and can be centeredon the detected position of the light spot when such a region can beselected that is larger than the predetermined minimum region size, andotherwise b) selects a region that is of the predetermined minimumregion size and positions the region as nearly as possible to centeredon the detected position of the light spot while keeping the regionwithin the camera's field of view.
 6. The photography system of claim 1wherein the remote control casts the light spot on the photographicsubject using a laser.
 7. The photography system of claim 1 wherein thelight spot is cast on the photographic subject intermittently.
 8. Thephotography system of claim 7 wherein the digital camera detects theposition of the light spot by detecting a change in state of the lightspot between successive digital images.
 9. The photography system ofclaim 1 wherein the light spot is absent during the taking of a finalphotograph.
 10. The photography system of claim 1 wherein the digitalcamera preferentially focuses on subjects in the vicinity of the lightspot.
 11. The photography system of claim 1 wherein the light spot isused to signal the digital camera to perform at least one other functionin addition to selecting a region to photograph.
 12. The photographysystem of claim 11 wherein the light spot is used to signal the camerato take a final photograph.
 13. The photography system of claim 12wherein an identifiable flashing pattern of the light spot is used tosignal the camera to take a final photograph.
 14. The photography systemof claim 1 wherein the digital camera is capable of making videorecordings.
 15. The photography system of claim 14 wherein the digitalcamera re-selects the region to photograph as the light spot movesduring recording.
 16. The photography system of claim 14 wherein thelight spot is cast on the photographic subject intermittently, andwherein the digital camera removes the effect of the light spot fromvideo frames in which the light spot appears.
 17. The photography systemof claim 16 wherein the effect of the light spot is removed using pixelinformation from other video frames in which the light spot does notappear.
 18. The photography system of claim 14 wherein the selectedregion is of a predetermined size, and wherein the digital camerapositions the selected region as nearly as possible to centered on theposition of the light spot, while keeping the region within the camera'sfield of view.
 19. The photography system of claim 1 wherein the digitalcamera selects a region that encompasses a recorded set of light spotpositions.
 20. The photography system of claim 1 wherein the size of theselected region is affected by motions of the light spot.
 21. Thephotography system of claim 1 wherein the position of the selectedregion is affected by motions of the light spot.
 22. The photographysystem of claim 1 wherein the digital camera comprises an optical zoomfunction, and wherein the digital camera improves a resolution of theselected region using the optical zoom function.
 23. A method ofphotography, comprising the steps of: a) detecting, in a field of viewof a digital camera, a position of a light spot cast on a photographicsubject by a remote control; and b) automatically selecting, based onthe position of the light spot, a region from the camera's field of viewto photograph.
 24. The method of claim 23 wherein selecting a regionfrom the camera's field of view comprises centering the region on thedetected position of the light spot.
 25. The method of claim 23 whereinthe region is of a predetermined size, and selecting a region from thecamera's field of view comprises positioning the selected region asnearly as possible to centered on the detected position of the lightspot, while keeping the selected region within the camera's field ofview.
 26. The method of claim 23 wherein selecting a region from thecamera's field of view comprises: a) selecting the largest region thatcan be centered on the detected position of the light spot while fittingwithin the camera's field of view; and b) centering the region on thedetected position of the light spot.
 27. The method of claim 23 whereinmaximum and minimum sizes of the selected region are predetermined, andwherein selecting a region from the camera's field of view comprises: a)selecting a region to photograph that is the smaller of thepredetermined maximum size region and the largest region that can becentered, while remaining within the camera's field of view, on thedetected location of the light spot when such a region can be selectedthat is larger than the predetermined minimum region size, and centeringthe selected region on the detected location of the light spot; andotherwise b) selecting a region to photograph that is of thepredetermined minimum region size and is positioned as nearly aspossible to centered on the detected location of the light spot and isentirely within the camera's field of view.
 28. The method of claim 23wherein the light spot is cast on the photographic subject using alaser.
 29. The method of claim 23 wherein detecting the position of thelight spot further comprises: a) casting the light spot on thephotographic subject intermittently; and b) detecting changes in thestate of the light spot by comparing successive digital images taken bythe digital camera.
 30. The method of claim 23, further comprisingcontrolling at least one camera function, in addition to selecting aregion to photograph, in response to the light spot.
 31. The method ofclaim 30, further comprising signaling, using the light spot, the camerato take a final photograph.
 32. The method of claim 31, whereinsignaling, using the light spot, the camera to take a final photograph,comprises flashing the light spot in a recognizable pattern.
 33. Themethod of claim 23, further comprising: c) casting the light spot on thephotographic subject intermittently; d) making a video recording; and e)removing the effect of the light spot from a video frame in which thelight spot appears.
 34. The method of claim 33 wherein removing theeffect of the light from a video frame in which the light spot appearsfurther comprises copying pixel information from another video frame.35. The method of claim 33 wherein the light spot changes states with afrequency of approximately half the frequency with which the digitalcamera captures video frames during video recording.
 36. The method ofclaim 23, further comprising making a video recording of the selectedregion.
 37. The method of claim 36, further comprising repositioning theselected region when the light spot moves within the field of view ofthe digital camera.
 38. The method of claim 23, further comprisingpreferentially focusing on subjects in the vicinity of the light spot.39. The method of claim 23, further comprising encompassing a recordedset of light spot positions with the selected region.
 40. The method ofclaim 23, further comprising determining the size of the selected regionbased on motions of the light spot.
 41. The method of claim 23, furthercomprising determining the location of the selected region based onmotions of the light spot.
 42. The method of claim 23, furthercomprising improving a resolution of the selected region using anoptical zoom capability of the digital camera.
 43. A photography system,comprising: a) means for detecting, in a field of view of a digitalcamera, the position of a light spot cast on a photographic subjectusing a remote control; and b) means for digitally framing a photographbased on the detected position of the light spot.